


All Is Fair

by greycrowns



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Dark, Dark Magic, Draco Malfoy Needs a Hug, F/M, High School, Hurt/Comfort, Love, Love Triangles, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-21
Updated: 2017-02-27
Packaged: 2018-09-26 01:38:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9856271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greycrowns/pseuds/greycrowns
Summary: All Is Fair; in love and war. After the battle of the century, causing the fall of Voldemort, everything has to find its way back where they belong. Everything stands in the stillness between war and happiness, causing things to change, to rise and fall. (Also available on Fanfiction.net)





	1. Home

All Is Fair

"In love and War"

All characters belong to J.K. Rowling, I did not own those characters or the original story/plot.

Hermione's hair was a tangled mess as she sat by the fire in the Gryffindor common room. It had barely been a week since the war at Hogwarts had ended. Everything had been rebuilt, and Hogwarts was almost as good as new, but classes had yet to return and the whole aura of the place was a strange stillness that hadn't been experienced before. Most people had gone home after the defeat of you-know-who, wanting to be with family after such a triumph that shook the wizarding world. Ron Weasley, who Hermione had grown so close to through the events of the war, hadn't spoken to her since it ended. He opted to spend time with the rest of his family, which Hermione completely understood. It was a dark war, and it took so much out of everyone, especially that family that didn't exactly have much of a home right now. They were all housed within Hogwarts for the time being, as well as a variety of families who had lost their homes during their battles. Ron stayed with the rest of the Weasley's, where his mother and father were, along with his brothers and sister. Occasionally Hermione would see him slip up to his own dormitory, but that was only an occasional glimpse before he would disappear again. Perhaps it was because she wasn't paying enough attention, stuck in her own thoughts, that she didn't really notice him too much. But she didn't let it take a toll on her. It'd only been a week after all. Sure, things could change, and she knew that, but she didn't think that her relationship with him would change, not at this point, not now. They'd come far too close for anything to change. So many other things had changed to lead them to where they are now, so they couldn't just revert so quickly. She looked into the fire. It had barely been a week, she reminded herself.

No one knew when classes were going to return to normal. Everyone supposed that they'd have to deal with all of the students and families associated with Hogwarts first, in order to recalibrate before anyone could think about classes. The only person who was probably thinking about classes was Hermione. At least she had Harry Potter around to break the silence that occurred within the Gryffindor walls. Harry stated a few times that he knew it was a time for celebration, they'd finally got rid of the darkest wizard of their time, they'd finally put an end to this war, they were all finally at peace here, and yet, there was still some sort of terror that laid in the air, as if one pin drop would change everything. It hadn't been the first time you-know-who had vanished, but this time they saw him die. No one really knew what to do next. They'd spent their whole time at Hogwarts preparing for this, and now it's over, no one really knew what to do, at least none of the students did. Hermione let herself think about her parents for a brief moment. She had obliviated them before the battle, but now that it was over, now that she was alive, she couldn't bare to bring her parents the shock of having a full-grown daughter, who's a witch nonetheless. She had no idea what to do about this whole situation with her parents, and the last thing she wanted to do was disturb them. The brightest witch of her age, and yet she had no clue what to do, her wits weren't helping her in her current situation.

Harry came down into the common room and sat beside Hermione on the couch in front of the fire. She noticed the fire reflecting in his classes as he gave a little smile, it was a somewhat sad smile, but still a smile all the same.

"What happens next, Harry?" Hermione inquired, bringing her legs up onto the couch so she could casually hug her knees.

"I wish I knew, Hermione. I don't think any of us have answers right now."

"I'm not sure if we could ever return to normal," Hermione stated, "Hogwarts will. I know it will. It's been through this kind of thing before. Hogwarts has been through so much for a school, and I'm sure it'll withstand this but…"

"But?" Harry repeated after her pause.

"But what about the rest of us? We've never been through something like this, Harry. I've read about the great battles that have occurred, and the things people have done, how buildings and communities have survived but there's nothing in books to show how the people got on. Who knows what they psychological outlooks are now?"

"Yeah, I know. We'll get through it, though, we always do."

Hermione returned a half-hearted smile, similar to the one Harry gave her just before and she leant her head against his shoulder. She just needed warmth.

It wasn't just those who fought on the side of the good that felt there would be a strange change in their lives. Those who were led astray came back to Hogwarts and the Wizarding community in hopes of reconciliation. Draco Malfoy placed various items on his bed, preparing to leave his home and return to Hogwarts sometime in the next few days. Draco had opted to come home with his parents, not only because he knew their fragile state after the events that had occurred, but also due to the fact that Hogwarts would become a safe haven for those who had lost their families, orphans, those with no homes, and those who had nowhere else to go. He felt like his presence would seem as though he was mocking them, which is not what he or his family needed right now. Perhaps it was also a slight twinge of embarrassment that further prompted these thoughts. His family had once been seen as cowardly to those who were under the Dark Lord's regime, and now he felt the same twinge of emotion due to this cowardly outlook that had been thrust upon them yet again. He was on the losing side of the war. Not only that but the boy he hated and yet envied through school had saved his life while he chose to attack his. Malfoy's ideologies were really put into perspective, and he needed the time away from Hogwarts to think about everything that had occurred during this war and everything that had changed. It wasn't like he was about to become friends with Potter or Mudblo- Muggle Born, Granger, or freckle-faced Weasley, but he knew that what he had been conditioned to think and believe growing up had changed. Now he was forming ideas of his own, outside of what he was told to think, not that he never had his own ideas before, they were just secondary to his father's ideas, who he really did look up to growing up.

Lucius Malfoy had slim-ly escaped the clutched of Azkaban prison, as he cooperated with the ministry in order to catch the others that were included in Voldemort's 'crew'. He was a bit of a mess after the whole ordeal was dealt with, though, it had barely been a week and they were all sure that the ministry would be back to inspect further. Lucius did not want to speak to anyone inside the house. The place was so large anyhow, it wasn't like it would be hard for Lucius to scour away from the other two people in the mansion they called home. Draco's mother, on the other hand, Narcissa, didn't seem to know what to do at all and was at a complete loss for once in his life. It was only now that Draco had realised how strong his mother really was, how strong every mother is without their children really realising it. She was the one that really kept it all together in this family, while Lucius would occasionally fail at a task described to him Narcissa kept it together for Lucius, and for Draco. Even when Draco had to step up to the plate and he barely could, knowing he was set up to fail, Narcissa was always a rock within the family, she kept them together. But now as Draco put his socks into a trunk, he knew that his mother would be down stairs, sitting there, with tea, just staring off into the distance with not one word to say. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to do. The air was still around them, they had never been in quite this position before, and so she just sat there, drinking her tea. Draco wondered what she was thinking, perhaps she was deciding what their next move would be, where they'd go from here or what she would do with the rest of her life. Her life was dedicated to Lucius, and Draco, and Lucius was dedicated to the dark lord, so the dominos just fell until everything was still.

Draco placed some books into his trunk. They no longer had any house elves around their home, and even if they did, it would've felt even more strange amongst everything else, at least that's how Draco felt. He closed the trunk shut, doing the clips then lifting it up to bring downstairs into the living room. He grabbed his wand before closing his room shut. He didn't necessarily need to head back to Hogwarts but he didn't really want to be at 'home' either. Sure, one factor was boredom but the other was the fact that everything felt so fragile here, and he couldn't deal with fragile right now. Hogwarts wasn't always his favourite place in the world, probably because of the hogwash his father put into his head about everything that goes on there, but Draco knew it was a good school, and he knew it's where he had to be right now. He dropped his trunk at the end of the staircase and saw his mother in the living room. She sat there with her tea, staring at the fireplace. He called to his mother a few times but she blocked him out. He sighed and sat down next to her.

"Mother?" he questioned her state as he was closer to her now.

"Oh Draco," she started, "I'm sorry."

"I'm heading back to Hogwarts," he stated.

"Oh. Did you pack everything yourself?" she looked over at the trunk by the stairs.

"Yes."

He felt like he should linger around the house longer, to make sure his parents were okay, but he knew that there was nothing he could do anyhow.

"Are you going to be okay, mother?" he looked at her with concern.

"Yes. I'll be fine."

"And father?"

"You don't need to worry about him."

Draco wasn't entirely convinced. She gave him a smile, it was small but her eyes mirrored a glimmer that almost reassured him. He never had to be concerned about his parents before. Even when he had to make up for Lucius' faults, he was never concerned, he was determined to prove that their family still had worth in their circle, but not concerned. Now he didn't have that sort of determination, he didn't have that ongoing battle for his family within their group.

He smiled back, showing that he understood, then got up and grabbed his trunk. With a wave of his wand he apparated and his mother took another sip of her tea, looking at where Draco had just been. She let out a light sigh before putting the teacup back on its saucer.


	2. Things Change, Granger

All Is Fair

"In love and War"

All characters belong to J.K. Rowling, I did not own those characters or the original story/plot.

Another week had gone by and nothing much had changed. The Weasleys were able to rebuild what was left of their home in order for them to have a place to stay, and so they had left, which included Ron. Hermione felt like whatever had happened between Ron and herself, might have just been something that happened in the moment. She felt like the whole thing had built itself up, but sometimes things weren't just meant to be, and Hermione knew that. The orphans who had been left at Hogwarts were either sent to whatever other relatives they still had (usually non-wizarding relatives), very close family friends, or in the case of older orphans, sent to stay in the dorm of their houses, or with a close friend who was part of their house. Hermione had decided that she would stay at Hogwarts, she though they might perhaps need her help, or at least someone's help when Hogwarts started reopening classes again.

She stood in front of the mirror of her dorm. She was the only girl in her dorm that stayed here at Hogwarts, everyone else finding that family is the most important thing right now, something that she knew but couldn't act upon. She sighed, putting her hair up in a ponytail so it wouldn't be dealt with today, and then pulling on a Gryffindor jumper as she exited her dorm. The Gryffindor colours felt like warmth to her, like a family member giving her a hug. She really needed some of that house pride right now. Harry had also decided to stay. He was one of the few other people in Gryffindor who did. He felt it was his responsibility to help set Hogwarts back up again, or at least help anyone possible, which Hermione completely understood, and he also wanted to make sure Hermione had a true friend while she was still here. Neville was also around somewhere. She saw him a few times, and she loved that he had grown to become so brave through their years at Hogwarts and there the battle. They hadn't really spoken much recently, but Hermione felt like no one had really spoken much. She walked past the fireplace in the common room and felt it was time to exit the tower which Gryffindor hid.

Her fingers danced across the columns the held up the library, as she looked at the books that had been left out on the floor, those that had been singed by fire, and those that piled up awkwardly on the reconfigured site saddened her but if there was any place Hermione Granger would go, it would be the library. She knew that the teachers and students here had other things to focus on than just cleaning up a library. She walked in and picked up a few books from the floor, deciding that she would look through a few and find their rightful places on the shelves, knowing full well that probably no one else would. The first book in her pile made her smile a bit. Hogwarts: A History. Reminded her of her first year here. She thought it was going to be so simple. She was glad that it wasn't but, she wasn't sure she would be facing many more challenges that would be so exhausting in trying to over come. She took the books with her and walked down the aisles of the library, finding their appropriate place. She came back, grabbing book after book, looking through those that had been burnt, try to restore what was left of them with a little bit of magic. She liked putting the books back on the shelves manually, even if she did have to climb one various objects to get them up a little higher. It felt like something that she had to do right now.

Hermione had climbed upon a desk to put a book up on a higher shelf when she heard a noise coming from the back of the library. She froze. Nobody else would be in the library but her. Unless perhaps Neville had wandered in to find some books on herbology, take his mind of some things, but herbology was in a completely different direction from where the sound came from. She heard a book close and her hands moved slowly towards her wand. Sure she was still a little on edge, who knew what was to come after Voldemort. She heard footsteps coming her way. She stood still, trying to figure out who it could possibly be in the shadows. She felt a little silly, preparing for another battle so suddenly like everything would be against her. But she also knew she had to be prepared for anything.

A moment later she had dropped her guard and stood upon the table with arms crossed, and a frown across her head.

"Malfoy?" her sarcastic tone yelled 'of course' as she stared at him.

The blonde haired boy was tall in his white buttoned-up top, Slytherin tie, and black trousers. He had a book under one arm as he flicked through another. He looked up at her.

"Granger." He replied. Nothing in his voice showed hostility.

She frowned and jumped down from the desk. She didn't even realise Malfoy was at Hogwarts. She wondered if he had just come back, or if he had been at Hogwarts for the past two weeks. She also wondered what side he was on now. Hermione knew full well that there wasn't really good or evil here, but she wondered where he stood in the midst of all this mess.

"Are you just going to stare at me, Granger?" he asked, emotionlessly.

She hadn't realised that she was staring at him.

"When did you get back?" she asked, attempting to make this whole thing feel less awkward for herself.

"A week ago."

He didn't look up from his book.

So, he was away. But why did he come back now? Weird timing. Hermione thought. Draco closed the book and walked towards her. He placed the book on a shelf near her and the book under his arm was placed on a shelf a few rows up.

"Look," he said, "I know things are strange. I know you know it too, but we're supposed to be at peace now or something, right?"

She didn't say anything. She had learnt that silence can be very effective.

"If you're wondering what I'm thinking, it's not that all of the death eaters are going to suddenly rise up, or that I'm still against you lot. It's done. It's over."

"I'm sorry," was all Hermione felt she could say. After everything that has happened, even if she didn't know what she was apologising for, or if she needed to apologise, after what Malfoy had done to her, to them, she just felt like it was needed.

Draco walked passed her and towards one of the piles of books. He grabbed a few of them and disappeared into the aisles. Every now and then she caught a glimpse of his pale hands, putting books back on shelves. Hermione had almost forgotten that Draco had been second to her in almost every class, so he would have had to of spent a lot of time in these libraries. Though he probably could've just purchased all the books he needed anyway. Hermione saw that he knew where almost every book need to go, and she continued putting piles of books back onto the shelves, restoring whatever she could in a place that was her haven.

It felt strange. The 'peace' between them. The silence that held in the room as Hermione and Draco worked together to fill the shelves with books. After everything that's happened, all the disgusting names Draco had called her, the punch she had thrown against him, the academic competitiveness, and the war, this is what it came down to, silence.

She frowned as she noticed that Draco also wasn't using magic to place the books up on the shelves. Of course every now and again when there was a book that needed to go to high up that he couldn't reach, he'd flick his wand and send it up, but for the most part he just placed them on the shelves, no magic. Hermione assumed that maybe he was tired from the excessive use of magic they'd all been privy to. Now that Hermione thought about it, they were all exhausted. She frowned and sat down next to a pile of books. Leaning on a bookcase as she did so. Looking through the books, she piled them up in alphabetical order to make it easier for herself when she decided to get back up. If she decided to get back up.

Draco continued to place books upon the shelf. He knew that keeping his mind busy would be the best thing for him. He also felt like he had to make up for something, perhaps for how he had treated people, even how he had treated Dumbledore. What had happened left a heavy weight on his heart. Something he thought wouldn't occur, and he couldn't tell if it was because of Dumbledore's belief in him that made him suddenly feel this weight, or because he couldn't do the one thing that was supposed to help his family. Or because none of that mattered now. He walked over to grab some books, noticing Hermione's legs on the ground. She must've taken a break, he decided. He went over to see the alphabetised piles and Hermione, who had sort of fallen asleep against the books. He chuckled a little. This seemed about right.

"Granger?" he called, waving his hand in front of her. Yet nothing. He picked up a pile of books under 'A' and put them in their according section. He came back, and she was still asleep. Thinking the situation was a little funny, Draco took out his wand and allowed a feather to tickle her ear. She whacked at her ear and he sniggered a little bit. She frowned and Draco put away his wand, the feather falling beside her. Hermione's eyes opened a little.

"Having a bit of a snooze are we, Granger?" he smirked, "Didn't think you were the type to fall asleep on the job. And leaving a Slytherin with all these books nonetheless."

She groaned, "haven't been sleeping well."

Draco shook his head.

"Who are you to judge anyway? I'll sleep where I need to sleep," she stated triumphantly.

"Maybe I should've hexed you then? Write some incriminating words on your forehead? Isn't that something muggles do?"

"What are you on about?" she stood up, knocking down some piles of books.

"Oh now you've done it, Granger."

"Shut up, Malfoy," she snapped, then groaned at the books she'd let spill onto the ground, "have you had your fun teasing yet?"

Draco inhaled deeply, ignoring her. He took out his wand and waved it, muttering a few words and allowing for a large majority of the books to go back to their places on their shelves.

"I think this was easier than your way, Granger."

She shook her head while looking at the books that were left. There were only a few of the burnt ones that remained. Of course magic would be easier, but it didn't feel the same, and she knew Draco didn't get that.

"Malfoy, what are you doing?" she looked at him, slightly concerned, slightly curious.

"I'm fixing this library. I'm doing a better job at it than you are, I might add. You would think this library was more precious to me, than it is to you."

"That's not what I meant," her words dominated, "You've been here as long as I have, well over a few hours. You could have fixed this all in the first place and then left. So my question remains, what are you doing?"

Draco clenched his jaw.

"You've been more kind to me today than our whole schooling experience together. You haven't yet shouted an insult, or disregarded my feelings or worth. Sure, we're at peace, but that never would've stopped you before. Why would you stay here, in a library with me, a muggle born witch who is so 'obviously' the opposite of your kind."

Her words had a hiss to them. His eyes narrowed as he looked at her.

At a point where Hermione swore that he would say 'shut up, Granger' instead, he stayed calm and regal. His hand lightly grazed her cheek.

"Things change, Granger."


	3. Understanding

All Is Fair

"In love and War"

All characters belong to J.K. Rowling, I did not own those characters or the original story/plot.

\--

Harry came into the great hall. Hermione was sitting on her own down a long table, taking small bites of the food that had been prepared for her. The house elves had just started working again in order to bring more meals to the Great Hall, whereas for the past two weeks or so, there were very few house elves, only creating the minimum needed and sending them up to the different houses. Hermione looked up as Harry entered, giving him an endearing look.

"He hasn't sent any post yet," he answered her silent question.

"That's okay," she replied.

"Look, Hermione, I know, I know he cares about you, the way you care about him."

"I'm not sure if that's enough, Harry. After everything that we've all been through, I just thought, I thought we'd finally know what we were. I understand that he should be with his family now, he needs to be, but, I just wonder if it was all just, us being caught up in the moment."

"No, it's not just that. I know that it's been tough, Hermione, but you both care about each other, that's what matters."

"Yeah," she played with the food on her plate, "Have you heard from Ginny?"

He paused for a moment, "Well, yeah. She says that things are looking better as they sort everything out. She says it's been hard, though. Everything they've been through, losing a family member like that, and you know, the rest."

"Yeah. I hope they get back to a good place. I know they will. They're tough they are."

"Sure are," Harry replied.

This was probably the quietest that the Great Hall had ever been while there were students there. Granted there weren't many students who'd stuck around but still, the voices were very hush, if there were any at all. There was a sudden silence that fell over everyone. Hermione and Harry look over at the door to see who had just entered. It was Draco Malfoy. Hermione attempted to smile at him. He had yet to come back into the Great Hall, and she was sure she'd been the only person who'd seen him around the school. She didn't think anyone expected a Slytherin to come back so soon. Everyone knew they'd all come back eventually, but now, in their rebuild, not many Slytherins were around to help.

"Malfoy," Harry said, just loud enough for Draco to here.

"Potter," he replied back, without the usual distaste that would sting every word.

Draco walked to the empty Slytherin table and sat there on his own.

"I really didn't think that he'd come back," Harry told Hermione, his eyes still on Draco.

Hermione thought about Draco, and how he'd stayed in the library with her. Nothing had happened, he was just there, which was a little strange. Her hand lightly touched her cheek before she quickly moved it away.

"Why not? I mean, I know that after everything this would probably be the last place he'd want to be, but it is his home as well, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I suppose so," he paused and looked at Hermione, "It's just, it's Malfoy."

"I know," she replied.

Harry had become awfully silent for the next ten minutes as Hermione flicked through a book on transfiguration that she borrowed from the library.

"I have an idea," Harry stated.

She looked up at him with a quizzical expression.

"We should be celebrating, shouldn't we? I mean, it's now, now is the time to celebrate. He can't come back, and we know it, he's gone, I killed him, we all saw it, yet none of us have really celebrated, have we?"

"I'm not sure if it is the best time, Harry. I understand what you're saying, and I agree that we should be celebrating bu-"

"Then that's it. I have a plan," he smiled, "this will sort things out, it'll make things better, trust me."

And she always did.

Hermione watched Harry leave the great hall and she turned to look at Draco Malfoy, who sat by himself. He looked lost in thought for a moment before his eyes caught Hermione's. She looked away quickly, grabbing her book and leaving the Great Hall. She hurried outside, heading down a corridor towards the stairs, but a hand grabbed her wrist.

"Granger," she knew it would be him.

"Draco," she replied softly. They weren't exactly on a first name basis.

She turned to face him, he didn't let go. His hand was so delicately yet firm against her skin. She felt it strange that his hand was so soft, yet tense at the same time. He stared directly into her eyes, and she felt as though he could see her soul.

"Draco?" there was a twinge of concern in her voice. He didn't move, but his grip weakened slightly.

"Draco," she said again, "I know how you must be feeling, and I know it has to be tough. After the war, after everything. I mean, you were still a jerk, and that sucked, but that doesn't mean I don't understand it. Things change. And you were right. They do, I understand that, and I understand that that must be why you're here, right? You, want to change? You saw the errors of your ways, you saw that everything you did wasn't really worth it, and you saw how it turned to nothing. You're looking for a friend, you're looking to change and I completely understand that, Draco."

Her eyes looked up at his with faith. He frowned.

"Shut up, Granger."

His retort was something Hermione should have expected. Just because he didn't give her that same remark last time, didn't mean he wasn't over his faithful retorts. She clenched her jaw, finding that this wasn't the situation she thought it was.

"How could you possibly understand?" his voice raised in anger, but it wasn't a yell or a scream. "You weren't on the same side as me, you didn't go through what I went through. Our pureblood name means nothing, it's been thrown in the dirt, as everything is turned against us now. You wouldn't understand, of course, you wouldn't you're nothing but a mudbl-"

He stopped himself. Draco took a deep breath. There was a glint of anger in Hermione's eyes.

"I can't believe this," she sniggered, "nothing has changed, has it, Malfoy? Still calling names. Still valuing your stupid blood status above all else. If you hadn't noticed, whether or not we were all in battle, I still seemed to achieve higher grades than you did, and we were all there to save your snivelling life. Things like that are so trivial, yet you still speak of such a thing like it matters. Do I have to whack you on the nose, Malfoy?"

Things weren't going as either of them had suspected. Though they really didn't know what either of them were going to possibly get out of this interaction.

"Oh please, Granger. This is pathetic."

"Pathetic?" she yelped, "Right, pathetic, that's perfect, Malfoy."

"You started this."

"Started this? Started what? I was trying to show empathy, and you practically spat in my face."

"Well, I'm sure me spitting in your face is probably better than you making out with that weasel on the battlefield."

He hit a soft spot. The annoyance in her eyes changed suddenly to a type of sadness. He could see it. Hermione wasn't always the best at hiding her emotions, and Draco didn't come here to attack her.

"I'm heading to the library to return some books," he gestured to hers, "I know you're done re-reading."

She moved the book towards him and he took it, leaving hastily. She didn't know why she was prepared to have a screaming match with Draco. He was hurt, they all were, and she felt that she was only trying to help. Draco also knew this. He knew that out of all people Hermione knew how to forgive the easiest, no matter how stubborn she could be. And he knew that if he wanted to show that there was even a tinge of peace, then she would be the one to go to. As much as he couldn't withstand her know-it-all bossiness, she was right. He knew that she was just trying to be empathetic, branch out to him, but he burnt the branch like he did with everybody else. He felt that he was better off being alone than trying. Yes, that felt right to him. He had tried and they both got burnt, he saw it in her eyes and he knew she probably saw it in his. It was stupid anyhow, he thought, trying to befriend the muggle born. She was part of the golden trio, and she was just as stubborn as the rest of them. He was better off just brooding on his own, keeping out of trouble for the rest of the year.

Hermione almost walked into Harry who had been chatting with Neville in the common room, while she was lost in thought. Why did she believe that everything had changed? Perhaps everything was still the same, she thought.

"Hermione!" Harry exclaimed, "Look, Neville have been talking and he thinks that my idea is great."

"Your idea?" she questioned, playing with her uncoloured nails.

"Yeah, to celebrate. He agrees that we should celebrate. And maybe this way everything will come together."

"Celebrate?" she felt stupid for repeating his words.

"Yeah, we're going to have a celebration, a party. Everyone's welcome, and it'll be great, I'm sure of it."

"Will you have it here?"

"Do you mean in our common room?"

"Yeah."

"I think that'll be great, having a party here," Neville chimed in.

"You guys don't think we should go celebrate in Hogsmeade, outside of Hogwarts?"

"No," Harry replied, "I think Hogwarts is the perfect place to celebrate. Hogwarts is still standing, we need to celebrate that."

"Yeah, I suppose so. But what about the Great Hall? I'm not sure if our common room is the right place."

"Nonsense," Harry shook his head, "There's not a whole lot of us here anyhow, it'll be fine Hermione. I'm sure, Ron will come back to celebrate too."

"It doesn't matter whether he does or doesn't, if you guys think we should celebrate, then I guess we should," she smiled.

"Yeah, I like that," Neville smiled back, "A party."

Barely a few days later, Harry had already figured out a way to decorate the Gryffindor common room ever so slightly to create a party look. He created a small bar off in the corner which was manned by one of the kind house elves who agreed to help out for the night. It was mainly because this particular house-elf wanted the night off from cooking up meals, so he was more than happy to stir drinks. Harry felt pretty pleased with himself, not that he thought that after the war had ended, that he would be planning parties, but nonetheless it was all he could think of to bring back some sort of upbeat outlook to Hogwarts. Neville attempted to put some streamers up in the air, and fellow Gryffindors Seamus and Dean had returned just the day before, now helping with the layout of the common room.

Hermione sat on the edge of her bed. She knew full well that downstairs in the common room, a party was going to begin, but she didn't feel like she was quite in a partying mood. She supposed it was because she was over thinking every little thing that had occurred during the battle, and afterwards. She didn't like that she couldn't get over it, that she couldn't move on. She was Hermione Granger, she was brave, strong and smart. She really didn't like that out of all the things she was overthinking, the things that stood out the most were the little glimpses of romance through the battle. The kiss with Ron. She should be focusing on the outcome of the battle. She should be focusing on the fact that she had survived, and that she was here today. Her mind wandered and she thought about Draco for a moment. Her hand touched her cheek, where he had just grazed it with his soft fingers, so delicately, barely touching her but causing her to shiver and yet be comforted at the same time. She frowned. She was just lonely. Draco would continue to mutter the same things he always did, just with a hushed tone now that his ideologies were proven to be outdated. She touched her arm. She remembered Bellatrix. She remembered the pain. She remembered her relation to Draco and how Draco's touch was so different. They are all the same, she stated in her mind, reassuring herself of past thoughts. They are all the same.

She pulled on a red dress. A dress that she had had for a while but never worn, she didn't really have anywhere to wear it to. The dress went just above her knees and was form fitting yet comfortable, a perfect fit. She put on her black shoes, that were small heels, as she always looked at the function of shoes. If she wasn't going to be able to run in them, then she wouldn't buy them, it had always been her philosophy. She used her wand to fix her hair, taming it with ease, before taking one last look in the mirror. She inhaled deeply. She could hear the bass of the music downstairs. Harry had brought in muggle speakers but bewitched them to their needs. She could hear the chattering voices, and she knew it was about time she wandered downstairs. It was a celebration she reminded herself. She let out a deep breath and then opened her door.


	4. Are You Stalking Me?

All Is Fair

"In love and War"

All characters belong to J.K. Rowling, I did not own those characters or the original story/plot.

\--

Draco stood outside the Gryffindor common room. The entry way was wide open, and people from different houses were already inside. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, they were all there, he was the only Slytherin it seemed. He knew that Pansy Parkinson was going to be lurking around Hogwarts for a few days, that Theodore Nott would be shying away from Hogwarts, at least for a while longer, and that Blaise Zabini was up for a party at any time, but for now, it was just him, alone. He didn't even know if he should step inside. He felt ridiculously stupid. Malfoy always knew that he could strike fear and respect in others, it brought him a comfort like no other. He was supposed to be strong. Even in his cowardly hours, he didn't feel as ridiculous as he did now. Perhaps it was because this was just a party. It wasn't a massive situation where being cowardly could be forgiven, it was a party, and he felt stupid for spending so long thinking about it. He needed to get his groove back. Draco was seen for his dabbling with the dark side, he always knew that. He always knew he was an enemy to Potter, a bully even, but he was a charmer. He could charm those he wanted to, and he knew the whole 'bad guy' thing pulled that off, not to mention how good he was, romantically, but none of that mattered now. There was no good or bad, nor was he trying to win anyone over in the romantic sense. He just needed to get back his charm, that Malfoy charm.

Hermione stood over by the makeshift bar and got herself a drink. She had already had two drinks, and she felt braver for it. She saw Harry dancing with Luna Lovegood over in one corner while Seamus and Dean were dancing with a few Hufflepuff girls, making the most of their night. She saw a few people making out on the couch and that everyone was generally having a good time. She looked down at her drink and smiled after taking a sip. Everything was okay, she thought to herself, something she didn't allow herself to believe until now.

"Got something magic in there?" Draco inquired.

Hermione hadn't even seen him come up to the bar. He seemed to be in the strangest of places recently. And he was being civil.

As much as Draco thought he should keep his head down and lie low, rather than allowing any attention on himself, he knew his absence here would be known. He also knew what it would look like if he was sitting in the corner, staring at everyone.

"Yeah, just looking for a pot of gold," she joked.

He raised an eyebrow.

"I thought that you wouldn't want to come to something like this," she stated, given the history between Gryffindor and Slytherin, though noting that was part of the reason they were even having this party.

"Maybe you need to stop thinking."

He grabbed her cup and put it down at the bar, before taking her hand and moving out onto the dance floor. She frowned for a second but didn't deny Draco a dance. His hand moved to her waist delicately, and he placed her hand on his shoulder. Hermione placed her other hand on his other shoulder, and both of Draco's hands were now on her waist. She gave him a confused smile and so he moved her closer, smirking a little.

"Wasn't this the point of this little get-together?" he inquired.

Hermione felt as though everyone was watching them, but she knew they were all preoccupied with whatever they were doing to notice. Or at least half of them were too drunk to notice. Her hand slid down his arm, taking his hand as she spun. He let her spin, before pulling her back in towards him, moving his hands back to his waist. She felt a comfort in dancing with him, even just for tonight. She just needed company.

A few hours later, and a few more drinks later, Luna and Hermione were dancing together on the dance floor. Hermione noticed Neville in a corner watching Luna with a slight smile on his face. No one had passed out yet and everyone was having a good time. Harry interjected and danced with the both of them for a short while. He swung his arm around Hermione's shoulder and she leant into him, Luna under Harry's other arm as the yelled and laughed over the music. There was a bang and a pop in the common room, and everyone froze for two seconds as small fireworks shot up. In popped a familiar red-headed boy, who would've usually been accompanied by his twin. George Weasley howled and some Gryffindors ran up to him, hugging him as they brought him inside to party. Behind him was Ginny Weasley, she smiled as she stood at the entryway. Her eyes locking with Harry's before they ran towards each other in an oh so cliche moment. He lifted her up, spinning her around the room before kissing her. But that was it. No, Ronald Weasley. Hermione sighed. She didn't really know what he expected, but two of his siblings were here, it must've meant that things would have returned to normal.

Hermione grabbed a shot of giggle water from the bar, making her giggle by the name but intoxicating her none the less. Then she took two more shots and stumbled up the stairs. She laughed quietly to herself. She wasn't the type to get drunk or even tipsy, but it was a celebration after all. She kept repeating the term celebration to herself. She pushed the door handle and barged into her own room, frowning as she came in, as there was Draco Malfoy sitting at the edge of her bed flipping through a book. She had a few thoughts on the situation. The first being, out of all the beds in this dorm, he just found hers to sit out. The second being, why was he here? And the third being, why does she keep finding him wherever she went? It wasn't like they had that much in common perhaps, she thought for a moment.

"Are you stalking me?" she said out loud, rather than to herself.

"Don't flatter yourself, Granger."

"Well," she stumbled on her words, "you're in my room."

"Yes, well, Potter and his red headed lover are in the other dorm, and it'd be strange going into a first year's dorm, now wouldn't it?"

She didn't even remember seeing Harry and Ginny go upstairs. She kicked her shoes off, one of them hitting Draco's shin.

"Are you kidding me, Granger?"

"Ooops," she said casually. She walked over to her trunk and got out her pyjamas before exiting to the bathroom. She came back into her dorm to find Draco still there.

"Are you going to be leaving anytime soon?" her words slurred only slightly.

He smirked, "Granger, your top is on inside out,"

She looked down. Of course, it was. She grumpily exited and returned with her top back on the right way.

"Smart girl you are," he teased.

"Why do I keep seeing you everywhere?"

"Maybe because you want to, Granger," he chuckled, "Or perhaps it is because we go to the same school."

"We don't have any classes together."

"We don't have any classes at all," he corrected, seeing as the curriculum hadn't been put back in place.

"Right. But wait, why are you here?" she questioned again, chucking her clothes back in her trunk and then sitting on her bed near Draco.

"Do you not want me to be?" he charmed.

"You didn't answer the questioned!" she stated loudly than she thought she did.

"Questioned?" he chuckled, "I think you mean question. Right?"

She frowned, "You ask too many questions, yet you don't answer any."

A moment passed.

"I'm just," he paused, "trying to find my place."

They let the words turn to silence. Hermione stared at him in sadness. The silence was just that, silence. It was piercing, but not awkward. They just let it be silent. She felt sad for him. She felt sorry for him. He was a bully, and a tyrant, he was one of the worst people to have near you growing up, yet she felt so much for him in this moment. She didn't understand how that could be, but she understood that she cared. Their hands touched for a brief moment before Hermione laid back onto the bed, resting against her pillow. She didn't even notice when Draco left the room, probably because she was almost out cold. When she awoke, he was gone, and she wondered if he had even been in her room at all, or if she had just imagined it.


	5. Touch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Why don't you make me, Granger?" his nose touched hers as his angry, yet somewhat playful eyes focused on her enraged ones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are so many mistakes in this chapter (I'm reposting here and then continuing this fic here) and I'm just too tired to deal with them, I'm so sorry.

All Is Fair:

"In love and War"

All characters belong to J.K. Rowling, I did not own those characters or the original story/plot.

When all were called downstairs into their common rooms, there was a letter stating that Hogwarts would be up an running, with its usually activities in a week. These letters not only went to the common rooms for each house, but to the students who were back home with family. Draco smiled inwardly at the notice which him and two other Slytherin students read in the common room. Those who had come back early included Pansy Parkinson, Astoria Greengrass, Crabbe, Goyle, a few forth years and a second year student, who's name Draco had already forgotten. It was 'nice' to have Pansy around, at least that's how Draco felt at first. She was a comforting thought, having something on hold like that. She grave Draco the warmth he needed, and he didn't feel so lonely, yet she hadn't changed at all. She couldn't quite see the turmoil going on in Draco's mind. Not that he would let her, but as comforting as her body was to him, she was beginning to become a clingy annoyance, yet again.

"So Draco," she spoke just over a whisper, her hands clinging to his arm. He didn't reciprocate the affection.

"Pansy," he noted her existence.

"Why don't we, go do something, fun?" she asked as one of her hands moved to play with his fingers.

He ignored her. He moved to go grab something, his arm slipping from her hands. Majority of the other students had left the room.

"Draco, please. I mean last night, the night before, I just-" she paused for a moment, perhaps to not seem as desperate as she felt, "doesn't any of it mean anything to you?"

"We've done it before. It didn't mean anything before," he stated grabbing a box off of the Slytherin common room shelf.

"Oh," her voice dropped a little, "Draco, we are perfect for each other, you know that right?"

"Whatever you say, Pansy," he sighed opening the box.

"Draco, don't," she walked up to him, closed the box and made sure he looked straight into her eyes, "I can be just as intimidating as you can, and you know that."

"What do you want, Pansy?" he was unamused by this point.

"You, and me. I'm done, with the games, Draco. It's fun sure, and I definitely like fun, don't get me wrong, but I'm not the only one in these halls who you have fun with, and I want that to change."

Draco didn't know where she got off saying all this, they weren't dating, there was't anyone else around these halls, and of recently Pansy Parkinson was the only person to get into his pants. He felt that she should be pleased just by that. It wasn't that he had an emotional attachment to Pansy, he certainly didn't, apart from childhood memories. She was attractive, and that's where it stopped for Draco, she didn't have the wit to keep up with him.

"You know it's what would make your parents proud," she pushed, "us, together. Pure bloods, a powerful breed. Maybe we'd be the next to take over."

"Pansy, your narrow mind precedes you."

Her eyes started to fill with anger.

"You know what this is, Pansy," he ignored her temper which he knew would erupt, "there is no us. We're a bit of fun, that's all. You know me, I know you, that's why this worked see. I get your want for more, who wouldn't? But you and I both know it isn't going to work like that."

"Well maybe I'll just stop."

"Stop?"

"Stop curling my tongue around your dick, stop letting you crawl on top of me, stop letting you have your way with more, stop letting you be aroused and pleasured."

"Your loss, not mine," he noticed the second year running to his room. Draco scowled at the fact that Pansy just could not keep her mouth shut. He headed towards the entrance of the common room.

"Draco!" she yelped. Draco hadn't heard her yell or scream before, not really. She usually kept the cool exterior that matched his and other Slytherins.

"We don't have many people left," she said suddenly, "It's just us. There's isn't many of us, Draco, we need to come together. We're similar you and I. We need each other."

"Parkinson," he started, "your fantasies are preceding you."

Draco left the room. Of course the moment Pansy Parkinson came back to Hogwarts he had to deal with, whatever that was. He chuckled under his breath as he walked down a corridor, not really having an idea of where he was going. Her prime idea was to stop screwing him in order to get him to stop messing about with other girls. He smiled a little. Idiot. There was no one else around here we was messing around with, not currently, simple because there was no one else here. He didn't even think about it either. Pansy was like a reflex, he had her on hold and was able to bring her to him when he needed his spirits lifted for a short while. And by a short while, it was nothing to do with his own stamina, but rather hers. He found it ridiculous that she even bought up the subject when everything was so weird around them already. He only slept with her because she asked him to, and it was fun, definitely, but she wasn't the best he had.

Draco wandered around the Hogwarts grounds, noticing little pieces of ruble that had been left in areas, not quite finding where they would fit when the professors used their magic to fix up the place. Draco, like everybody else had felt lonely, and that's what he started up this thing again with Pansy. But while his mind went for a walk, trying to figure out what happens next after what they had all believed in died out, she was so determined to preserve everything, like nothing had changed, like if anything had changed it was how close they were all supposed to be now. Draco felt the whole situation pushed them all further away. He had no idea where Crabbe or Goyle were, and now that he thought about it, he didn't even care. Blaise was supposed to return soon, but even Draco didn't know what their dynamic would be now. He shrugged it off, it didn't matter, he was still Draco Malfoy, and so far, that meant nothing within his own Hogwarts house would change. He did hug Lord Voldemort after all, the only person openly seen to have been given affection by the dark lord, which meant something amongst those within his crowd. But outside of them, it obviously meant something different, but so far, no one had mentioned it, out of fear, or because they wanted to move on.

He found himself outside of the library again. He stood there for a few moments. Not too long ago it had been a place where no one would think he would be. That's why he came there. But after a week he started finding Hermione lurking around and he didn't quite like his peace being disturbed by the curly haired witch. He knew that if he had left in a rush that day, he would've looked like a coward, if he just walked out then it would be like he was saying that there wasn't going to be peace between them at all and so he stayed that day, even if it was strange, he let her have her space and aided with the return of books to shelves. But today, it didn't look like anybody was in there. He'd recently been reading more about the history of Hogwarts. Not that he wanted to preserve this place or its memories, he couldn't care if it really just stayed put down, but he knew that would mean that he would have to return to another school such as Durmstrang. Though, now that he thought about it, he probably could've gotten away with homeschooling, as he was sure many other wizards and witches heading towards their finally year probably opted for after the battle. He ran his hands through his blonde hair and looked for books through the history section.

In one week, everything was supposed to go back to normal. As Draco attempted to read the silly book he had picked up, he found himself thinking about what would happen in a weeks time, rather than the book itself. He was playing with spells, causing different images to move on the page, burning the corners of the paper and creating new images. He was bored. Looking through all of this history stuff finally got the better of him. He ripped out a page and flicked his wand, turning the piece of paper into a swan. He allowed the swan to lift into the air and fly about, the wings of the creature moving as it did so.

"Did you just rip out a piece of paper from that book?" he heard the familiar girls voice in anguish.

The paper swan started to burn, and then the ashes fell to the floor.

"And you burnt it?" the bossy voice called.

Draco just raised an eyebrow, as if to say 'what's it to you?' and Hermione's nostrils just flared. Hermione clenched her jaw before placing the two books she held in her hand onto a table. She crossed her arms and looked at Draco. She was wondering whether she had imagined him in her room, or if he had actually been there. He didn't seem to be paying any attention to her. It would've been a strange conversation to imagine, as it didn't seem to really go anywhere or have a point. Him being in her room, there was no point to that, so why would he have been there? Her thoughts were confusing her, a conversation she wouldn't of thought of imaging, or the fact that Draco wouldn't be sitting in her room for in real life. She bit her lower lip. But if she had imagined him there, there would be more to it, she knew that. She was at a point where she was sick of just being inside her own head.

"Classes start up again in a week," she stated.

"Then we can go back to an academic rivalry."

"Do you think it'd be less strange? Having classes back?"

"I'm sure a routine will make everything about this less strange. That way it wouldn't seem like I was going out of my way to talk to you."

"Are you going out of your way to talk to me?"

Draco paused. He realised that he had been. He had been allowing himself to be in these situations where we would have to talk to her. It wasn't like they were thrown together in class, it wasn't like he felt the need to be actively against her, and it wasn't like there was something there forcing them to speak, to do anything. He had gone up to her room, out of all things, to talk to her. That felt strange to Draco. He just wanted to talk to her. He frowned, that wasn't at all like himself. Hermione coughed and Draco come out of his state of thinking.

"No."

His words were sudden, and now it was Hermione's turn to frown it seemed.

"Interesting," she finally said, "how we keep finding ourselves in conversation."

"I suppose so."

Draco disappeared down the dark corners of the library with the book he had just been holding. Hermione felt the need to follow him. She knew that she was thinking about him, about their small almost meaningless conversations. But she didn't know why she was pondering about it. And she just had to know. She had to know what was going on with herself, and she felt these small conversations had something to do with that. She remembered that they danced. She remembered that she felt comforted. But she also remembered it was such an insignificant moment when she looked at the bigger picture. They weren't dancing in the middle of the Yule Ball, they weren't the centre of attention, it wasn't a big deal to anyone else. But she also thought, that perhaps that was why she was searching for him. That things were strangely simple, this friendship that seemed to be forming, or whatever it was, seemed like something important in Hermione's opinion, otherwise she wouldn't be thinking about it too much. She knew it didn't make a lot of sense, but she knew to go with her gut. Perhaps it was something to do with making peace, but it wasn't like she was that interested in making peace with everyone who were on the opposite side.

The next thing she knew, was that her face had hit the ground hard as she tripped over a chair in the dark depths of the library. She cursed under her breath, lying there for a moment before deciding she should probably attempt to get up.

"Are you stalking me, Granger?" Draco's voice called.

She remembered those words. They came out of her mouth last time.

"Don't flatter yourself, Malfoy," she stated, suddenly realising that they had more similarities than she had let on.

He chuckled.

She groaned as she got up. Grabbing her wand she whispered 'lumous' before jumping as she realised that Draco was a lot closer to her than she had assumed. He was barely a few steps away.

"Scared, Granger?" he teased. He remembered how much he liked to tease.

"Why are you back here?" she asked.

"The book I was attempting to read was a tad boring. Almost fell asleep."

"Which book was it?"

"No clue."

"You don't know what book you were reading?"

"Not all of us want to remember every single detail, Granger."

She turned around, facing away from Draco. She looked at the section of books, the history of the dark arts. Then, an arm brushed pass here, grabbing a book from in front of her. She could feel Draco's breath against her neck as he stood behind her, reaching for the book. Whether it was because he actually wanted to know the history of the dark arts or because he liked to see people squirm a little, his actions still would've remained the same.

"Know anything about this one, Granger?"

"Ah, no, I don't."

"Something, Granger doesn't know? Interesting," he noted, opening up the book in front of them.

She took a deep breath and took a small step away, turning slightly so she could see his face. He smirked.

"Bet, Potter didn't have to learn any of this. Bet he never had to learn anything, ever."

"Harry learnt, just the same as we did."

"Let's be serious, Granger. Potter never really had to work his butt off in this school. Points were awarded to him for just being, Potter. It's not like he'd ever really have to pick up a book, it seems like an incredible amount of luck actually."

"Harry worked for everything he's gotten, Malfoy. He didn't just win a war based on pure luck. Harry's smart, and he worked through everything just like the rest of us," she defended her friend.

"I don't know, Granger. What if he didn't have a bushy haired know-it-all by his side? Do you think he would've won then? Do you think he would've actually put in effort? Imagine that, Potter putting in effort. What a funny image. But he had you to do everything for him basically. I wonder how you feel about that, Granger."

"Harry is capable of doing anything on his own, and he proved that. We were all there to support him, we all supported him and our support was a source to him, but he was able to win that battle all on his own."

"Really now?"

"Yes, really! He didn't need us there, but we were there! He would've one no matter what."

"So, you're irrelevant then."

"What?"

"You're irrelevant. The whole war could've gone out without you, you didn't have a position, you didn't mean a thing, whatever you did meant nothing in the process. All your hard work here, working for your O.W.L.s, reading every bloody book about magic, and nothing. Interesting to know how you spend your time, Granger."

"Irrelevant? Irrelevant, Malfoy?" she almost chuckled, "you've got to be kidding me. I may have been irrelevant according to you, but you weren't worth half a soldier during that battle."

"Well, that's barely an insult now is it."

She shook her head and breathed in deeply.

"Funny how naturally we fall into this pattern," he laughed a little.

"What's your problem, Malfoy?" she pushed him and he took a few steps back, "I'm here trying to have a stupid conversation with you and you pull this crap out on me. Not that we've even really ever had a conversation, it's more like arguments. But I suppose you just think that's normal, now don't you?"

He flicked his wand and a bunch of books fell to the ground. Hermione looked at the books then quickly snapped her head back towards him, stepping forward.

"Why, because I was brought up to think every conversation is supposed to be a fight, Granger? Because Draco Malfoy grew up in a torturous home so he must be evil, he must be dark, right? Like the rest of them? Because you want me to be. Don't you, Granger? I get that our naturally rhythm seems to be fights and arguments, but I'm not so sure that that's my fault, Granger. I think that your want for me to be a big bad bully is what starts this."

More books came flying off the shelf.

"Well maybe you are just that. Maybe all you are is some stupid bully, who can't stop being a bully, who can't stop trying to prove his pathetic worth to the wrong side, to an idol he died at the hands of a bloody teenager. It doesn't look like you've tried to be any different."

"I haven't tried to be any different?"

"At least, Harry tried! He threw a party. He invited everyone, he didn't care what side anyone was on. He doesn't even throw parties."

Her hands flailed about in the air.

"A party? Because a party is going to solve whatever was left after this battle. That's ridiculous, and you know it, Granger."

"At least it was an effort."

"An effort? He knew that the only people that would be there were those who were still here. And you and I both know the only Slytherin lurking around was me. What an amazing effort your golden friend put in there."

"Well a party is better than snapping every two seconds at whatever someone says."

"I don't snap, and you bloody well know that, Granger. The only reason our conversations go south is because you want to believe the worst in me, because that's what your petty little friends want you to do," he stepped towards her, only for her to push him back.

"You don't get to talk about my friends that way."

"Fuck you, Granger. At least I had the decency to try, as soon as I saw someone else, which happened to be you, to try and create peace. A party please. I put back your fucking precious place back together. I even walked up and down these stupid aisles putting books back the muggle way."

The books that had toppled to the grown now caught fire.

"Don't you fucking swear at me, Malfoy!"

"Don't you dare boss me around, Granger," he stepped towards her.

"You helped put some books on a shelf, so fucking what, Malfoy. And now you're tearing them all down. That's some great truce, you've tried to create here."

Neither of them had any idea how their conversation got here, or where it was going.

"Fucking hell, Granger. What about you then? Where was your branch of fucking peace?"

"I don't fucking know, Malfoy. I haven't cut your silly head off yet, isn't that peace enough?"

"Another thing, Granger doesn't know? It has been an interesting few weeks now hasn't it? Guess you need to renounce that know-it-all title."

"Why won't you just shut up, Malfoy?" she was so close to him now, not even realising it due to the blinding rage that filled her.

"Why don't you make me, Granger?" his nose touched hers as his angry, yet somewhat playful eyes focused on her enraged ones.

Draco could hear Hermione's deep curious breaths.

"Your father isn't here to fight your battles for you, Malfoy," her voice was more steady than before, more calm.

"You don't get to talk about my father, Granger," his anger seems to overtake hers.

She shook her head a little and looked off to the side, but his hand grabbed her jaw, moving her head to face him. He made sure she was looking directly at him. Only his eyes would give away any hint of emotion, whilst Hermione showed her emotions through the whole of her body, and it was always obvious. She shuddered slightly. Hermione noted that he was holding back, he was holding something back, like he was going to spit but didn't feel it polite to do so. Like he was going to call her a mud-blood again like he did every single year until now. Like he was going to the other day. Before now, he would have never touched her cheek, danced with her, or even grab her face. No. He wouldn't what filthy mud-blood germs or whatever he would've called it, to have any type of interaction with him. Hermione clenched her jaw and Draco felt the movement in his hand. He loosened his grip. His hand felt soft against Hermione's skin, and the dynamic between them had changed once again. He looked away, his thumb tracing her jawline for a moment, so delicately, before he lowered his arm. She just stared at him.


End file.
